Team has no plans to protest anthem
The Warriors have no plans to protest during the national anthem before their preseason opener Saturday evening against Denver.
“I haven’t been made aware of anything,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said after practice Friday. “If there were to be something, I would’ve heard. That’s what we talk about as a group. We never do anything without the whole team discussing it. At this point, there’s no plans.”
On Sept. 22, speaking to an applauding crowd at an Alabama political rally, President Trump lambasted players who, like former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, decided to kneel during the national anthem to protest police killings and racial injustice.
Trump said NFL owners should respond to the players by saying, “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he’s fired. He’s fired!” He also encouraged fans who are offended to leave stadiums.
His words did not have the intended response. Over the past week, the backlash against Trump escalated. Players and coaches throughout the NFL either sat, knelt, locked arms or didn’t participate during the national anthem.
At games 1 and 2 of the WNBA Finals, the Los Angeles Sparks went to the locker room for the anthem. Oakland A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first major leaguer to join the movement when he took a knee during the anthem before the A’s 1-0 win over the Rangers last Saturday at the Coliseum.
The Warriors, who have been vocal about their issues with Trump, recognize that they have a big platform as one of the most popular teams in the NBA. That they have no plans to protest during the anthem hardly means they’re done voicing their opinions.
“I like what our guys do,” Kerr said. “They concentrate on their jobs and sports. They take their jobs really seriously, but they make their feelings known in a very respectful manner. They do a lot of work in the community. They do a lot of things to help others. I’m very proud of our players.” Few changes: Kerr plans to make few tweaks to his rotation Saturday, and he’ll start the same lineup — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia — that he started last season.
The one noticeable difference will be that, regardless of how the game unfolds, Kerr will play all 19 available players. Bell impresses: Rookie forward Jordan Bell continues to impress coaches in training camp. With a second left in the Warriors’ scrimmage Friday, he threw off JaVale McGee with a pump fake before hitting a game-winning 20-foot jumper.
“Jordan is not going to be shooting a lot of jump shots for us,” Kerr said, “but it was fun.”
“I like what our guys do. They concentrate on their jobs and sports. They take their jobs really seriously, but they make their feelings known in a very respectful manner.” — Steve Kerr, Warriors head coach